[el´ vazh] n. m. The education of wine. A blog.
Part of Vincent Wine Company, Portland, OR

October 19, 2011

Harvest 2011 begins, finally

Harvest 2011 begins Thursday for Vincent Wine Company. We’re picking
everything from our blocks at Armstrong Vineyard on Ribbon Ridge and
Zenith Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. I am so excited. After this
crazy growing season, where historic cold weather delayed budbreak until
May and flowering until July, we’re near the end of October and finally
we pick grapes.

How is the quality? We won’t really know until we have the fruit in
the fermenters, but sugar levels are in the low 20s brix and pHs are in
the 3.2 to 3.3 range. Just where I want them, for making wines with ripe
flavors but energy, life, acid balance. Flavors are mixed, meaning some
pretty explosive tasting berries and others with some bracing qualities
that I prize. Let’s remember, we’re making wine, not fruit juice or
eating grapes. I think grape flavors are overrated. Wine is a curing
process. We’re taking raw meat and making bacon. There’s a big
difference in the two. I’m looking for something in the final product
that you can’t necessarily see in the raw material. What I want now are
healthy, ripe grapes from a successful growing season. We have that.

And what a crazy growing season it was. A good indicator of a growing
season here is at least 100 days from flowering until harvest, maybe
110 or longer depending on the season. Our early July flowering meant
100 days would be around October 12. In many years, we’d finish picking
at that time. This year we knew we probably wouldn’t even begin until
then. Crazy. Harvest is an outdoor activity. Does anyone think that
outdoor events in the Willamette Valley in mid-October or later is a
good idea?

Now, on the eve of October 20, we will finally pick. The grapes have
had a long season after all. Turns out we’ve gotten the weather we need
and things are turning out. I wouldn’t advise more seasons like this.
Don’t plan an outdoor wedding this time of year. But for now, it looks
like we might get lucky.

Stay tuned for more on harvest. Now I need some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long, and I hope great, day.

Vincent Wine Company

We don't just blog about wine. We make it, too, at the Southeast Wine Collective at 2425 SE 35th Place in Portland, Oregon, at SE Division. Come taste our Willamette Valley Pinot noir wines along with three other local producers that share this beautiful winery space. And don't forget to email us to join the Vincent Wine Company mailing list.

We're also part of Guild Winemakers, a co-operative project between four Portland-area winemakers. We produce red and white wines priced for everyday enjoyment. Look for them all over Oregon and in several states across the country.